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I AM don’t drink before you eat because you’ll get full off juice

I AM the daughter of an educator so expected to be the best academically

I AM shea butter and coconut oil

I AM the sound of bead at the ends of my braids

I AM the unknowing of both were i came from and where i am going

I AM not the golden child of the family but also expected to be the most relatable

I AM always trying to prove myself and justify my existence

I AM pushing my furniture around with my legs bc they are the strongest and “i can do it myself “

I AM crab legs and melted butter

I AM Our Friend Martin and That’s So Raven

I AM “the weekend doesn’t start until 7ppm on Friday”

I AM the youngest of two different families

I AM bubble gum bubble gum in a dish

I AM a cold-a-sac kid

I AM electric scooters and the steepest hill to ride my bike down

I AM pointe ballet shoes and Friday night lights

I AM full of life but also not at all

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My favorite characteristic is my ability to bloom through concrete and bring sunshine to others. 🌻

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My important object is my collection of letters and notes from my field students. They reflect the growth I witnessed in them—and that they recognized in themselves. This is my “why”.

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I was raised in the church. We were encouraged to serve but we weren’t allowed to serve without a parent, if we were under 18 (which we all were. We served with excellence, next to our parents, and the staff decided to decrease the age to serve without a parent!

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I was in 6th grade when Obama was elected as president. The school made the classes watch the Inauguration and it was the first time I had experience prejudice/racism from kids, my own age.

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My class has 18 students, 15 of whom are Multilingual Learners, with 8 newly arrived to the country. As a minority, it’s natural to focus on the inequities and systemic challenges I face personally, but this year has pushed me to step beyond my own experience and see others’. I’m well-versed in the injustices and inequitable practices that African American students encounter, but now, I’m experiencing these issues from the perspective of an MLL student—a whole new world for me.

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I have an app on my phone that gives me a vocabulary word a day and I try to find a way to incorporate it in my conversation, that day. This is a screenshot of the widget on mu phone. This day, the word was “quagmire”.

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I read The Hunger Games, in middle school (7th grade, I believe). It was the book that got me into reading, as a kid. My brother read it first, and I felt so cool reading a book that my big brother read. I ended up loving it and we went to see the movie opening night. That’s when I realized that the books are better than the movies (although the movie was nearly flawless, if you ask me).

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The Great Alone is my important book because it got me back into reading as an adult, which helped me encouraged students to enjoy reading. I HATED this book but I had to see it through and I was so invested. This is also the book that started my journey of blind reading only. It has been four years since I’ve read a synopsis/summary of a book before reading.

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Strength in  Teaching Culturally Diverse Students 

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Strength in  Teaching Culturally Diverse Students 

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I cultivate a classroom community that feels like family, where students from all cultural backgrounds are embraced and celebrated. By fostering an environment of mutual respect and empathy, I ensure that every student feels safe, valued, and ready to engage. This supportive atmosphere inspires students to share their unique perspectives and approach learning with enthusiasm and confidence.

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The bias that I called myself on, this year specifically, is assuming that a certain group of students need the same kind of help. Each of my MLLs needs something different and I didn’t start off acknowledging that.